Bob’s Blog

The power of generosity is energized by the ‘faith share’ giving of Jesus-followers motivated by God’s spiritual blessing and measured by God’s material blessing.

We conclude this series with our sixth message on the power of generosity. God has disclosed to us in his Word the truth that generosity not only includes giving our resources, but it also means addressing the need of becoming engaged in changing the world for Christ. Generosity is an inside job. It needs to flow from who we want to become. We will need a foundation for this change in our life. This foundation is the church of Jesus Christ, and an investment plan to support ‘faith share’ generosity in the ongoing ministry of the church.

Why do we want to be more generous? It may be our religious faith, our personal philosophy, or the values that we hold to be self-evident. We find a group of people that share our commitment and interest. For the Jesus-follower, this group is the body of Christ which consists of local community of fellow believers. We search for a fellowship of kindred spirits who are prepared to look at issues and opportunities addressing lifestyle and concern for others. At Christ First, the lifestyle is centered upon cultivating a relationship with Christ; the concern for others is changing our world for Christ. We let generosity work on the inside so it makes an impact on the outside!

Now since we have seen over these past five messages what the Bible has to say about the power of generosity, there’s only one thing left to do—commit ourselves to becoming a generous giver. That is, if we’re not one already. If we’re not generous givers, it could be that we don’t have a plan for regular, systematic giving. The purpose of this message is to help Jesus-followers develop a ‘faith share’ plan. Because the power of generosity creates deliberate and consistent givers.

‘Faith Share’ Plan =

“The means by which Jesus-followers systematically give back

to God a proportion of their finances for use in his kingdom service.”

Now my wife and I like to play board games. There’s a game on the market called “Acquire” which we haven’t played as yet. But in this game I’m told there are 7 hotel corporations and you win the game by having the most valuable stock at the end. Now the way to win this game is not making the mistake of buying a few stocks in a lot of companies which a lot of us do. You don’t know which ones are going to take off so you get a little and a lot. The key to winning is discerning which company is going to grow and investing heavily in that company. The strategy is to end up with the majority in each company in which you invest. This produces a big bonus at the end of the game. Meanwhile the loser is one who sits there with lots of stock, but it’s in several different companies and it just isn’t worth as much as being a shareholder in a few companies.

Jesus-followers who invest their finances for use in God’s kingdom service are called ‘faith share’ partners. They are not called ‘stock holders’ in the sense of investing in company stock. ‘Faith share’ partners find a portion of God’s work and they invest heavily in it and they receive great dividends. We live in a world that hits us with more causes than we could ever support. We think of that stack of mail from Christian organizations. Now there’s a pattern. We don’t see how many things we could possibly support. It’s a better idea to invest a share in a few eternal investments.

I remember my mom’s grandmother we called Nana. She went home to be with the Lord a number of years ago. Nana had all these records that we went through and we found her list of “Giving and Praying” to organizations she really believed in. It started in small script, a list that went back to the 1940’s and then the print got larger as her eyes began to fail, and at the age of 96 she was still praying for and giving to those ministries. God laid it on her heart and here were 40 years of praying and 40 years of canceled checks to match. She was a partner in the Gospel.

Now in our self-focused generation, we have lost that excitement of the power of generosity through faith sharing in Eternity, Inc. We must decide to draw a line in our checkbooks and that’s all we really need to live on and from thereon we’re putting it into the work of God. We ask the Lord for a piece of his broken heart, for a need, for the work of ministry in our church, for some area of the world. We ask God for a few spiritual works or people who we can really believe in and pray for them and give and stick with them. The way to have a winning part in God’s work on earth is to have a ‘faith share’ in a few eternal investments and we’ll be reaping the dividends forever.

Now, since we’ve developed the concept and reasoning behind a ‘faith share’ partnership, let’s look at what God’s Word says in carrying out a generosity plan.

2 Corinthians 8:1-12

1 And now, brothers and sisters, we want you to know about the grace that God has given the Macedonian churches. 2 In the midst of a very severe trial, their overflowing joy and their extreme poverty welled up in rich generosity. 3 For I testify that they gave as much as they were able, and even beyond their ability. Entirely on their own, 4 they urgently pleaded with us for the privilege of sharing in this service to the Lord’s people. 5 And they went beyond our expectations; having given themselves first of all to the Lord, they gave themselves by the will of God also to us. 6 So we urged Titus, just as he had earlier made a beginning, to bring also to completion this act of grace on your part. 7 But since you excel in everything—in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in complete earnestness and in the love we have kindled in you—see that you also excel in this grace of giving. 8 I am not commanding you, but I want to test the sincerity of your love by comparing it with the earnestness of others. 9 For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you through his poverty might become rich.

10 And here is my judgment about what is best for you in this matter. Last year you were the first not only to give but also to have the desire to do so. 11 Now finish the work, so that your eager willingness to do it may be matched by your completion of it, according to your means. 12 For if the willingness is there, the gift is acceptable according to what one has, not according to what one does not have.

Paul knows that giving is a difficult discipline to follow. So he lifts his appeal to the highest spiritual level possible: he teaches the Corinthian believers that giving is an act of grace. Giving is a ‘faith share’ which involves ministry and fellowship. It helps others, but the motivation must be from the grace of God in the heart.

A Twenty-First Century Plan for Eternity, Inc.

Though Jesus himself renounced the pharisaic method of tithing—which had become a heartless, legalistic obligation, he never rescinded tithing as a legitimate method of consistent giving. But the method of tithing isn’t all encompassing. Tithing is basically the “training wheels” to giving. Money was crucial for the survival and functioning of the early church. The New Testament clearly supports, planned, systematic giving for the first-century and twenty-first century church.

Paul gives a number of evidences that appear when the power of generosity is motivated by grace with a ‘faith share’ desire to support the work of God.

1. When we give in spite of circumstances

1 And now, brothers and sisters, we want you to know about the grace that God has given the Macedonian churches. 2 In the midst of a very severe trial, their overflowing joy and their extreme poverty welled up in rich generosity.

The Macedonian churches that Paul was using as an example had experienced severe difficulties, and yet they had given generously. They were in extreme poverty, which means “rock-bottom destitution.” The word describes a beggar who has absolutely nothing and has no hope of getting anything. It reminds us of the off-ramp homeless persons who seek monetary support from oncoming motorists. But these circumstances didn’t hinder the Macedonian believers from giving. In fact, they gave joyfully and liberally!

No computer could analyze this amazing formula:

great affliction and deep poverty + grace = abundant joy and abounding liberality

When we as Jesus-followers have experienced the grace of God in our lives, we will not use difficult circumstances as an excuse for not giving. The power of generosity enables us through the grace of God to give in spite of circumstances.

2. When we give enthusiastically

3 For I testify that they gave as much as they were able, and even beyond their ability. Entirely on their own, 4 they urgently pleaded with us for the privilege of sharing in this service to the Lord’s people.

It is possible to give generously but not give enthusiastically. The Macedonian churches needed no prompting or reminding, as did the church at Corinth. They were more than willing to share in the collection. In fact, they urgently pleaded to be included! How many times have we heard a Jesus-follower beg for somebody to receive an offering?

In likeness, our giving as Jesus-followers must be voluntary and spontaneous. It is of grace, not pressure. Grace not only frees us from our sins, but it frees us from ourselves. The grace of God will open our heart and our hand. The power of generosity enables us through the grace of God to give, not as a result of cold calculation, but of warm hearted jubilation.

3. When we give as Jesus gave

5 And they went beyond our expectations; having given themselves first of all to the Lord, they gave themselves by the will of God also to us. 6 So we urged Titus, just as he had earlier made a beginning, to bring also to completion this act of grace on your part. 7 But since you excel in everything—in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in complete earnestness and in the love we have kindled in you—see that you also excel in this grace of giving. 8 I am not commanding you, but I want to test the sincerity of your love by comparing it with the earnestness of others. 9 For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you through his poverty might become rich.

Jesus Christ is always the preeminent example for Jesus-followers to model, whether in service, suffering, or sacrifice. Like Jesus Christ, The Macedonian churches gave themselves to the Lord and to others. If we give ourselves to God, we will have little problem giving our substance to God. If we give ourselves to God, we will also give ourselves to others.

The Macedonian believer’ giving was motivated by a sacrificial love. In what ways was Jesus rich? Certainly he was rich in his person, for he is eternal God. He was rich in his possessions and in his position as King of kings and Lord of lords. He is rich in his power, for he can do anything. Yet, in spite of the facet that he had all these riches—and more—he became poor. The great exchange is that Jesus became poor, so that we through his poverty might become rich. We were poor before we met Jesus, and we were totally bankrupt. But now that we have trusted Jesus, we share in all of his riches. The power of generosity enables us through the grace of God to give as Jesus gave.

4. When we give willingly

10 And here is my judgment about what is best for you in this matter. Last year you were the first not only to give but also to have the desire to do so. 11 Now finish the work, so that your eager willingness to do it may be matched by your completion of it, according to your means. 12 For if the willingness is there, the gift is acceptable according to what one has, not according to what one does not have.

There is a great difference between promise and performance. The Corinthians had boasted to Titus a year before that they would share in the special offering, but hey did not keep their promise. Paul emphasizes willingness. The power of generosity must be channeled by the grace of God through a willing heart; it cannot be coerced or forced.

During my years of ministry, I have endured many philosophies of offering appeals. I have seen resources and have listened to pathetic tales about unbelievable needs. I have forced myself to laugh at old jokes that were supposed to make it easier for me to part with my money. I have been scolded, shamed, and almost threatened, and I must confess that none of these approaches or appeals has ever stirred me to give more than I planned to give. In fact, more than once I gave less because I was so disgusted with the worldly approach.

We must be careful at this point not to confuse willing with doing, because the two must go together. If the willing is sincere and in the will of God, then there must be a “performance” also.

Warren Wiersbe says in his commentary entitled Be Encouraged, “God sees the ‘heart gift’ and not the ‘hand gift.’ If the heart wanted to give more, but was unable to do so, God sees it and records it accordingly. But if the hand gives more than the heart wants to give, God records what is in the heart, no matter how big the offering in the hand might be.”

There is an amusing illustration of an IRS representative calling the pastor of a church to verify a donation made by one of the church members. The agent asked the pastor this question, “did Mr. Jones give $10,000 to the church this past year?” The pastor replied, “He will!”

God sees, not the portion, but the proportion. If we can give more, and do not, God notes it. If we want to give more, and can not, God also notes that response. The power of generosity is generated through the grace of God when we give willingly, according to what we have.

Guidelines to Giving

So we carefully contemplate the power of generosity through our approach to ‘faith share’ giving in support of our Faith Partner Ministry. We can consider these guidelines:

1. Praying Fervently

We prayerfully ask God to give us wise discernment in what we will give in support of our church ministry.

2. Giving Proportionately

Our resources vary greatly, but God calls us to recognize them as his blessing and to give proportionately as God has blessed.

3. Managing Consistently

Consistent giving helps us make stewardship a priority. It also helps our church operate responsibly through the reliable giving of a time, team, and tithe for God.

4. Growing Progressively

As we mature, so may our giving. We should thoughtfully consider what part giving plays in our spiritual growth. We should seek to increase our giving each year in proportion to what God provides.

An Incredible Moment with Jesus and a Rich Man

Let’s close this message and our series with an understanding of where our hearts really lie before God when it comes to the power of generosity through a ‘faith share’ plan. Jesus speaks to a rich young man regarding his desire to one day enter into heaven. His words to his closest followers after this discussion are recorded in Mark 10:29-31…

“No one who has left home or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or fields for me and the gospel will fail to receive a hundred times as much in this present age: homes, brothers, sisters, mothers, children and fields—along with persecutions—and in the age to come eternal life. But many who are first will be last, and the last first.”

Jesus felt a genuine love for the rich young ruler. However, this young man lacked a major quality in his preparedness for heaven—full surrender of his material wealth. He was instructed by Jesus to go and sell all that he possessed and give the money to the poor. Jesus assured him that this commitment of generosity would add to his account treasure in heaven. The young man was so possessed by what resources he acquired that he couldn’t relinquish them to God. He went away sadly from Jesus because of his wealth.

Following this encounter with the rich young man, Jesus speaks about giving and gaining. Peter and the other closest disciples had paid a high price—leaving their homes and jobs—to follow Jesus. But Jesus reminds Peter that following him with a ‘faith share’ plan has its benefits as well as its sacrifices. Any Jesus-follower who has had to give up something to follow Christ will be paid back in this life as well as in the next. If we must give up a secure job, we will find that God offers a secure relationship with himself now and forever. If we must give up our family’s approval, we will gain the love of the family of God. If we invest our money in kingdom work now, we will later gain treasure in heaven.

Jesus does not ask that his closest followers sell everything they have. However, because money represents power, authority, and success, often it is difficult for wealthy people to realize their need, and their powerlessness to save themselves. The rich in talent or intelligence suffer the same difficulty. The person who has everything on earth can still lack what is most important—eternal life. We will as Jesus-followers pay the price of following Jesus, but Jesus said that we will be rewarded. We must not dwell on what we have given up; we must think about what we have gained, and give thanks for it. We can never out give God.

Being more generous is not a panacea. The challenges we currently face will likely remain, but we may discover that we can make something more of the gifts and resources we already possess. Self-help often attracts some criticism because it can be superficial and manipulative. Yet many changes for good in the world begin with someone saying, “I’m not satisfied with the way things are.”

Whether it’s overcoming addictions, striving for a higher level of performance, endeavoring to be a committed steward of God’s resources, or experiencing profound spiritual growth, someone has to say, “I want to change.” God’s hope for us is that a commitment to greater generosity will make our lives better and the world better as well. It’s never too late. No time is better than now to live out the power of generosity. Amen!

The power of generosity is the best way to liberate the heart, mind, and will as Jesus-followers use God’s riches for his ultimate glory.

We enter into our fifth message on the power of generosity. We want to affirm over these messages the truth that generosity not only includes giving our resources, but it also means addressing the need of becoming engaged in changing the world for Christ. A serious discussion about generosity can’t avoid the place of money. In cultures that worship the almighty dollar, generosity becomes both supplicant and critic. We always need more of it, but we need to be sure we want it for the right reasons.

The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation has assets worth forty billion dollars designated for charity. This is a great example of wealthy individuals practicing generosity at a substantial level. Almost every working day, we hear that there are ordinary people who want to give money to assist those in need. Of course, being generous is about more than money; it involves our time, influence, and expertise as well. But money stands higher in public perception than anything else.

Money is a reflection of our deepest motivations. Where our money is, there is our heart. Tracking how people spend their money is one of the most informative ways to determine the nature of a person’s character. To deny the place of money in our world would be naïve at best and downright dishonest as worst. Does this make money more important than anything else?

Did you know..?

The percentage of income that Christians give to God’s work declined for 30+ years!

Barna Research reports that although 17% of Christians say they “tithe”, only 3% actually give 10% or more of their income to God’s work.

90% of churches have no active plan to teach biblical financial or giving principles to their congregation.

85% of pastors feel unequipped, uncomfortable and untrained to teach biblical financial and giving principles.

Research indicates that most households tend to spend 10 percent more than their income, no matter what the income level.

Paradoxically, 55% of those whose assets ranged from $1 million to $5 million don’t consider themselves wealthy.

According to a Gallup survey, almost half the total charitable contributions in the US come from households with incomes of less than $30,000.

Money brings stability because everyone needs it and wants it. Money is a resource that provides food, water, shelter, and clothing. It’s a human construct that gives order to the exchange of things that we value. In our capitalist world, it’s the only way to get on and get along. But there is a difference between a rightful place in our lives and one that dominates and becomes obsessive. Money can be part of the problem or part of the solution.

Matthew 6:19-24

19 “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. 20 But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. 22 “The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are healthy, your whole body will be full of light. 23 But if your eyes are unhealthy, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light within you is darkness, how great is that darkness! 24 “No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money.

Jesus teaches in these verses that materialism will enslave the heart, the mind, and the will. He warns against the sin of living for the things of this life. He points out the sad consequences of covetousness and idolatry. We must not become shackled by the material things of life, but we ought to be liberated and controlled by the Spirit of God.

Let’s take a little test by writing down the answers to three questions on our message notes. We may find it helpful to refer to our answers later in the message if they are conveniently located. Likely the first thing to come to our minds is the correct answer, and that is the answer we need to write down. Now, let’s personally write the answer to three questions.

1. What one thing in your life would you most hate to be without?

______________________________________________________________

2. Where does your mind roam when it is free to go anywhere it wishes?

______________________________________________________________

3. What would you like to attempt if you knew you could not fail?

______________________________________________________________

Let’s hold our answers until we are well into the message. Let’s not go back and change any answers. Let’s leave them as we first wrote them.

Jesus taught extensively about the ministry of money. If we were to collect all his teachings on the acquisition of wealth and on the use of wealth, we would discover that wealth was a major concern to the Master. Money must be very important, since Jesus spoke on the subject so frequently. Sixteen of the thirty-eight parables were concerned with how to handle money and possessions. In the Gospels, an amazing one out of 10 verses (288 in all) deals directly with the subject of money. The Bible offers 500 verses on prayer, less than 500 verses on faith, but more than 2,000 verses on money and possessions. We know that our worth as Jesus-followers is not determined by money, but the place money occupies in our lives does reveal a great deal about our values. The reason we are exposed by the view of money is that money is powerful in its potential for either good or evil. Though money itself is neutral, the impact of money on our souls is powerful and persuasive. Therefore, the way in which we use wealth reveals our character.

Selective Loyalties

In Jesus’ “Sermon on the Mount,” he speaks about the power of generosity. His words demand thoughtful consideration. With the words of our text, let’s weigh the implications Jesus addresses in that message. He probes our hearts, our eyes, and our wills through the discernment of selective loyalties.

Let’s divide this message into three different questions. Let’s take a personal inventory. Maybe a better word to use is to say we will give ourselves a physical. We’ll give ourselves a physical of our lives and our body.

Jesus probes our hearts when he asks the question, “Where is your treasure?”

1. Where do we store our treasures?

19 “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. 20 But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

We put this down as a heart test. Let’s do a heart test. If somehow an EKG monitor was hooked up to our hearts and it revealed those things that made it beat faster, what would it be for us? What would it reveal?

In the first century wealth was not accumulated in bank accounts, but in a supply of precious metals or in a clothing wardrobe. That’s why Jesus says, “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy.” Jesus wants his followers to see that worldly riches are a poor investment. Jesus covers all the bases.

First of all, when it comes to possessions, we think of the world’s temporary perspective. How does our culture look at possessions? Let’s note John Piper’s comment in his book Desiring God. He says,

“All the evils in the world come not because our desires for happiness are too strong, but because they are so weak that we settle for fleeting pleasures that do not satisfy our deepest souls, but in the end destroy them. The root of all evil is that we’re the kind of people who settle for the love of money instead of the love of God.”

If we think about it, we’ve been reminded in recent times of the uncertainty of the stock market and the uncertainty of our retirement plans. We’ve been reminded of our vulnerability as to the safety and security of our nation.

Solomon says in Proverbs 23:5, “Cast but a glance at riches, and they are gone, for they will surely sprout wings and fly off to the sky like an eagle.”

It’s amazing the way greed and materialism can consume us. We buy things we don’t need with money we don’t have to impress people we don’t even like. In the last 20 years with the onslaught of multiple credit cards, the number of people declaring bankruptcy has skyrocketed due to greed, and an effort to keep up with the cultural values of spending.

William Ezell said, “Getting into debt is like riding a bicycle downhill. It’s exhilarating at first. Life in the charge lane is a lot of fun. But you always have to go back home — uphill. That’s how debt works.”

We’ve seen what the world’s temporary perspective is. What should the Jesus-follower’s eternal perspective look like? How do we store up treasures in heaven? Well, Jesus gives us encouragement, and as is always the case, God makes certain that the answer on the “how to?” is found somewhere in his word. The most specific list is found in the instruction Paul writes to Timothy in chapter 6:17-19. We looked at these words in our third message of the series. Paul answers the question, “How do you store up treasures in Heaven?” The best way he says to store up heavenly treasures is to be generous. Paul says, “Be generous and willing to share.” Our attitude should be one where we hold on to the things of this world loosely. It should be where we say, “What’s mine is yours. I’ll share it.” When we leave the worship center today we have all sorts of opportunities to be generous. Maybe it’s with a family member or a friend. Maybe it’s with a server or a baby sitter. We have all sorts of opportunities to let the love of Christ show through us.

If we look again in the nineteenth verse of 1 Timothy, chapter 6, Paul says, “In this way they will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life.” The pursuit of earthly pleasures and treasures is not really life. It’s just an existence that’s filled with the stress and worry of trying to keep up with it.

I’ve seen some people who try to put their own spin on this section from the Sermon on the Mount and they try to say more than what Jesus Christ is trying to convey. Dallas Willard, in his book The Spirit of the Disciplines, talks about how Christians think that money itself is evil and poverty is more spiritual than wealth. Let’s listen to what Willard says.

“Instead of recognizing their responsibility to help others with the goods at their disposal, they are haunted by the more radical thought that their service to God would be better if they were poor. Or at least if they owned nothing beyond what is required to meet their daily needs. They are troubled by the idea that the very possession of surplus goods or money is evil. Stewardship, which requires possessions and includes giving, is the true spiritual discipline in relation to wealth. Being poor is one of the poorest ways to help the poor.”

Jesus’ complaint here is not wealth. Jesus’ complaint is our attitude toward wealth. It all comes back to what it is that drives us and consumes us. That’s why Jesus says, “Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” So Jesus begins with a heart test. Where do we store our treasures? But then he moves on to an eye test. The second question deals with our eyes.

2. Where do we focus our attention?

22 “The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are healthy, your whole body will be full of light. 23 But if your eyes are unhealthy, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light within you is darkness, how great is that darkness!

How’s our vision? When was the last time we had a spiritual eye test? This is an interesting analogy with which Jesus chooses to connect materialism. In fact, throughout the Bible, the eye is often spoken of as a gateway that shows what is really inside of our hearts.

Later in the Gospel of Matthew Jesus refers to a person with an “evil eye.” Now usually when we think of an “evil eye”, we think of a person who is angry or maybe they are trying to cast a spell on us with some evil look that they give us. That’s not what it meant back in the first century. When Jesus refers to an “evil eye” do we know what it meant? It meant “an eye of envy.” It was a greedy eye and an envious eye. That’s why Jesus is warning them against being greedy and envious. He says, “You make certain that the eye you have is not greedy or envious.”

In Ecclesiastes 2:10 Solomon says, “I denied myself nothing my eyes desired.”

Now we must understand it’s not just lust for a person that starts with the eyes. It’s the planning and scheming which goes on in our minds when we see something that we think we have got to have. There are commandments after commandments dealing with greed, covetousness and with envy as God tries to get his warning out. Oftentimes what it comes back to is how do we view people that have more than we have?

One way to do an eye test to find out if we are greedy or not is if we can truly rejoice with a relative or a friend when they have more than what we have. When they have some material blessing or financial bonanza that was unexpected do we look at it and say, “I wish that was me?” or do we look at it and say, “I’m happy for them.” Proverbs 4:25 says, “Let your eyes look straight ahead, fix your gaze directly before you.”

Sometimes I think we need to put on spiritual blinders because the world is constantly pulling and tugging at us with phony measurements of what it is to truly be a success in life. Here in America, right before our very eyes, ad agencies, marketers, and media try to dictate our focus. They try to direct us toward what they say is an ideal, a utopia that cannot be achieved, because it’s a moving target of materialism. Who are our models? Who do we admire? Who do we say, “You know what? If I had what they had, lived where they live, had a job like she has, then I would be happy.” If we’re not careful we will find that Jesus-followers can send mixed signals to the world when it comes to greed and materialism. If we can’t rejoice with someone who has been blessed, then that’s an indication that we have a problem with greed.

Christian author Randy Alcorn wrote, “We ought to periodically take our kids to the junkyard to let them see what happens to the material things that people long for. We need to show them that these things that people longed for and which were so important to people 10 years ago are now wasted in the junkyard. Everything the world has is temporary.”

That’s why when it comes to our eye test we make certain that we focus our eyes on the Lord. Hebrews 12:2 says, “Fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith.” Second Corinthians 4:18 says, “So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.”

Sometimes we think we rationalize our behavior and say, “Well I’m just window shopping, or I enjoy looking.” But if we’re not careful and we are on the look every single day, pretty soon that will grab a hold of us and it will move from our eyes to our hearts.

I have to be cautious when using the treadmill in our bedroom. Not too long ago while walking on the treadmill, I was watching a program on the television set in my room. The more I walked I found myself engrossed in the television program. I was so engrossed that I kept falling off because my eyes were looking in that direction and it just kind of naturally took me over. That’s dangerous on a treadmill going four miles per hour! We can say we’re not attracted to the trappings of this world, but we find that whatever captures the attention of our eyes will magnetically draw us to it! If it has our attention, eventually we will move in that direction and it can be just as dangerous if we dive in to materialism full throttle or inch our way in at four miles per hour.

First John 2:15-17 says,

“Do not love the world or anything in the world. If you love the world, love for the Father is not in you. 16 For everything in the world—the cravings of sinful people, the lust of their eyes and their boasting about what they have and do—comes not from the Father but from the world. 17 The world and its desires pass away, but whoever does the will of God lives forever.”

We used to sing a song when I was a little kid in junior church. It said, “Be careful little eyes what you see, because the Father up above is looking down with love be careful little eyes what you see.”

In Philippians 4:12, the Apostle Paul from the jail cell says, “I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want.”

The secret that Paul found was a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, and having a single mind with eyes focused toward him. He was not only being content with his character, but being content with his circumstances.

Here’s a final question:

3. Who do we choose to serve?

24 “No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money.

It’s the third test for us. Maybe we think of this one as a grip test. Have we ever seen those things that test our grip to see how strong we are? This is a grip test that Jesus has given to this crowd to find out what it is they are holding on to tightly.

The King James Version translates Jesus’ last phrase to say, “You can’t serve both God and mammon.” Mammon was an Aramaic word which meant all of our wealth, and things and property. It’s something in which we put our confidence. He says it’s one way or the other. When we try to have two masters it’s not a tie; someone takes the lead. God, if he is the Lord of our lives, will interfere with our pursuit of the things in this world. What are we holding on to with our hands?

Back in 1987 on a commuter flight from Portland, Maine, to Boston the pilot, Henry Dempsey, heard an unusual noise near the rear of the plane. Dempsey turned the controls over to the co-pilot and went back to check it out. As he reached the tail section, the plane hit an air pocket, and Dempsey was tossed against the rear door. He soon discovered that the original noise was caused because the rear door had been improperly latched prior to takeoff. Now the impact of his weight caused it to open. Dempsey was instantly sucked out of the tiny jet. The co-pilot saw the red light, which indicated an open door. He immediately radioed the nearest airport requesting permission for an emergency landing. He reported that the pilot had fallen out of the plane and wanted a helicopter to search the area. After the plane landed the ground crew found Dempsey holding on to the outdoor ladder of the aircraft. Somehow he had caught the ladder and held on for ten minutes as the plane flew two hundred mph at an altitude of 4000 feet, and then when landing he kept his head from hitting the runway, which was only twelve inches away. According to the news reports, it took airport personnel several minutes to pry Dempsey’s fingers off of the ladder.

We’ve all known some people who have held onto certain things in this world with the same white-knuckle intensity. Maybe on a personal level, for our entire life we’ve been in an acquisition mode rather than a relinquishing mode. What are we holding on to? Whatever owns us is what we will serve. It was the theologian Zwingli who said, “If you possess something that you are not willing to part with, then you do not possess it. It possesses you.”

We must hold on loosely to the things in this world. We might have money and influence and that’s fine. It’s fine provided that we find our value and significance in Christ and not in the things of this world. Wealth and possessions can steal our heart away if we are not careful. So we hold tightly to the things of God and loosely to the things of this world. How much is enough? If we are serious about laying up treasures in heaven, then it starts with how we live on earth.

It is not merely that we have two employers, for that is conceivably possible. Masters, however, are another story. Masters own slaves. We have no understanding of what is entailed by such a statement in our day. A slave is owned by one master, and hence it is an impossibility to be owned by two masters. Slaves give full-time service to one master, and hence it is impossible to serve two masters full-time. Either God is served with our full devotion, or God is not served at all. We cannot divide our loyalties. To attempt to do so is to deceive ourselves.

David Livingstone was one of the first missionaries to go to the deepest parts of Africa. He poured his life into sharing the gospel with others. His efforts opened the door for so many people to find and follow Christ. While in Africa, and he served there for decades, he became sick. He eventually died there. But an unusual thing happened when he passed away. Before his body was shipped back home to England for his burial, the natives tried to convey their appreciation for this man who touched them for all eternity.

Can we imagine what they did? They cut out his heart. They sent the body back to England and this is what they said. “His body belongs in England, but his heart belongs in Africa!” Jesus says, “For where your treasure is there your heart will be also.” If you’ll let me, I would love to ask you a question. Maybe you will need to ponder it for a while. If you were to die this week, where would they bury your heart?

At the office? At the homeless shelter? At the track? At the sports arena? At the bar? At the party? At the church? At the bank? At the orphanage in Mexico? At the country club? As I have preached this sermon I know some of you are sitting here thinking, “Go for it Pastor Bob. Great job man, go after those rich people. Let them have it.” Usually we tend to judge wealth based on whether a person makes about twenty-five or thirty thousand more a year than what we do. That’s what makes them wealthy.

We must not misunderstand Jesus’ words. His admonition is not about wealth. It’s about greed and materialism. We can be on food stamps and be more sinful through our envy, covetousness, and desire for material possessions than the millionaire who’s genuine and finds his hope in God. We might say, “Well Pastor Bob, you don’t understand. I’m not rich.” If we are on welfare in the United States of America, then we are wealthier than 95 percent of the people in any third world country. We’re rich. The question is what’s our priority? Where will they bury our heart?

An Incredible Moment with Jesus and a Widow

Let’s close this message with an understanding of where our hearts really lie before God when it comes to generously handling our money. Jesus encountered a poor widow giving her offering in the temple treasury in Mark 12:42…

But a poor widow came and put in two very small copper coins, worth only a fraction of a penny.

Jesus was in the area of the Temple called the Court of Women. In this area of the treasury were thirteen trumpet-shaped chests around the walls in which worshipers could deposit their Temple tax or freewill offerings like the one given by this woman. The rich made a big production out of their giving, but Jesus rejected them and their gifts. It is not the portion but the proportion that is important: the rich gave out of their abundance, but the poor widow gave all she had.

In Jesus’ eyes, this poor widow had given more than all the others put together, although her gift was by far the smallest. She had given all she had to live on; in contrast to the way most of us handle our money. When we consider a certain percentage of our income a great accomplishment, we resemble those who had given “what they didn’t need.” Here, Jesus was admiring the power of generosity. Not only was she poor; as a widow she had few resources for making money. Her small gift was a sacrifice, but she gave it willingly. As Jesus-followers, we should consider increasing our giving to a point beyond convenience or safety.

There are many people who oppose the principles we have considered from the words of Jesus. They live for money and they will use every technique to get what they want. Such single-minded greed can take the breath away. So we have a choice to make. We must go to the well of our deepest treasures and decide what kind of persons we want to become. There is a decision to be made and a cost to be paid. We can make the choice to be part of a body in Christ created in the image of God that is building a way of life based on generosity. This choice liberates our hearts, minds, and wills to use God’s riches for his ultimate glory. Amen!

The power of generosity is beneficial as a witness where no one is too poor to give and no one is too rich to receive.

As we enter our third message on the power of generosity, we want to again affirm that generosity not only includes giving our resources, but it also means addressing the need of becoming engaged in changing the world for Christ. Talking about generosity brings its own rewards, but at some point we have to ask—does generosity actually work? Does the theory connect with reality?

Generosity must be more than a good feeling. Somehow it must help us connect with the grit and grime of everyday living. Contemplating the benefits of generosity leads us to a number of penetrating questions. Does generosity make life better? Is generosity a do-gooder’s delusionary proposal to a world that knows better? Is it realistic to think that significant numbers of people will actually embrace generosity in new and greater ways? Does generosity really make a difference in our personal lives and in the lives of those around us?

Many people today truly believe the following mindset when it comes to showing generosity: “If I only had more, I could give more.” That’s the thinking many of us fall into when we consider our own giving habits. When we think like this, though, we miss the point. Generosity doesn’t depend on the possessions we accumulate as much as it does on our attitude toward them. Our first message on generosity affirmed the truth that the sum of what we give isn’t nearly as important as the spirit in which we give it. We are to give cheerfully. We don’t have to be wealthy to enjoy the benefits of generosity, but we do have to be healthy in how we view our possessions, whether few or many.

My parents were basically simple people. Even at the end of their lives, when they had money available to spend on themselves, they were thrifty. They would rather sacrifice for the sake of their family. When we talked, for example, of their desire for a new car they just couldn’t make the purchase because it seemed to be so expensive — even though they could have worked out the deal. When we would talk about their need for taking a long trip together after retirement, they just could not decide to make the investment. When I think of my Mom and Dad who have both entered into glory, I must say that “Mom and Dad were happy. And even with all that they didn’t have that was what really mattered. They experienced contentment.”

In our text for this message Paul gives Timothy the formula necessary for experiencing the benefits of the power of generosity. He presents the importance of contentment by showing how it intertwines with another crucial characteristic: godliness. Let’s note this formula in 1 Timothy 6:6…

6 But godliness with contentment is great gain.

Godliness + Contentment = Great Gain

Let’s first look at the contentment portion of the formula:

Contentment =

The means by which Jesus-followers accept God’s

sovereign control over all of life’s circumstances.

The Greek root of content (arkeo), suggests the idea of sufficiency, that something is enough. It’s the intent in life by which Jesus-followers gain an inner God-given sufficiency which does not depend on material circumstances. When what we have—including our financial status, material possessions, and physical appearance—is enough, then we are free from turmoil over our lot in life. We are at peace rather than worried, afraid, panicky, or ruthlessly competitive and greedy. Content does not build into our lives the attitude that says, “Just a little bit more!”

Contentment is not a fanciful “not-a-care-in-the-world” state of mind. It’s not a place where we all want to escape. Where pleasure and play rule the day—like the Hundred Acre Wood, where Winnie the Pooh, after polishing off a whole jar of honey, plops himself against a tree for a sticky, satisfying nap (without losing his job).

God’s Word portrays contentment as a desirable trait, a level of satisfaction every Jesus-follower should experience. Yet contentment functions in the realm of reality; it retains responsibility and righteousness. Properly understood, contentment graces the life of the Jesus-follower and fosters the power of generosity in three ways:

It allows us enjoyment rather than the constant “just a little bit more” striving

It gives us freedom to recognize and applaud another’s achievements without being eaten up with envy

It enables us to develop a genuine spirit of generosity

Now let’s look at the godliness portion of the formula:

Godliness =

The means by which Jesus-followers live their lives with

Christ in clear focus with a prevailing desire to obey God.

Godliness is more than external piety. It speaks of devout persons who internally have their hearts bent toward God. Being godly is to live our lives in such a way as Jesus-followers that we take God seriously, regardless of the circumstances to deliberately pursue holiness.

So if godliness is having a desire to obey God and be like him, perhaps we can get a picture of God’s character and nature by Danny Dutton, age 8, from Chula Vista, California, for his third grade homework assignment to “Explain God.”

“One of God’s main jobs is making people. He makes them to replace the ones that die so there will be enough people to take care of things on earth. He doesn’t make grown-ups, just babies. I think because they are smaller and easier to make. That way, He doesn’t have to take up His valuable time teaching them to talk and walk; He can just leave that to mothers and fathers. God’s second most important job is listening to prayers. An awful lot of this goes on, since some people, like preachers and things, pray at times besides bedtime. God doesn’t have time to listen to the radio or TV because of this. Because He hears everything there must be a terrible lot of noise in His ears, unless He has thought of a way to turn it off. God sees everything and hears everything and is everywhere which keeps Him pretty busy. So you shouldn’t go wasting His time by going over your mom and dad’s head asking for something they said you couldn’t have. Atheists are people who don’t believe in God. I don’t think there are any in Chula Vista. At least there aren’t any who come to our church. Jesus is God’s Son. He used to do all the hard work like walking on water and performing miracles and trying to teach the people who didn’t want to learn about God. They finally got tired of Him preaching to them and they crucified Him. But He was good and kind like His Father and He told His Father that they didn’t know what they were doing and to forgive them and God said OK. His Dad (God) appreciated everything that He had done and all His hard work on earth so He told Him He didn’t have to go out on the road anymore, He could stay in heaven. So He did. And now He helps His Dad out by listening to prayers and seeing things which are important for God to take care of and which ones He can take care of Himself without having to bother God. Like a secretary only more important. You can pray anytime you want and they are sure to hear you because they got it worked out so one of them is on duty all the times. You should always go to Church on Sunday because it makes God happy, and if there’s anybody you want to make happy, it’s God. Don’t skip church to do something you think will be more fun like going to the beach. This is wrong! And, besides, the sun doesn’t come out at the beach until noon anyway. If you don’t believe in God, besides being an atheist, you will be very lonely, because your parents can’t go everywhere with you, like to camp, but God can. It is good to know He’s around you when you’re scared in the dark or when you can’t swim very good and you get thrown into real deep water by big kids. But you shouldn’t just always think of what God can do for you. I figure God put me here and He can take me back anytime He pleases. And that’s why I believe in God and want to be like Him!”

Paul encourages his young son in the faith that true godliness has a very real reward of its own—especially if it’s enhanced by contentment. Godliness charms the life of the Jesus-follower and cultivates the power of generosity in three ways:

It increases our ability to differentiate between the temporal and the eternal

It increases our sensitivity toward God and other people

It advances a willingness to live within circumstantial limits

1 Timothy 6:6-10, 17-19

6 But godliness with contentment is great gain. 7 For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. 8 But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that. 9 Those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. 10 For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.

17 Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. 18 Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share. 19 In this way they will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life.

In these verses Paul instructs Timothy on the importance of contentment and godliness when enjoying the benefits of generosity. Contentment and godliness have to do with recognizing in our minds and in our hearts the sufficiency of what we have—especially what we have richly received by God for our enjoyment. And that recognition of great gain carries with it many benefits.

Deep Contentment, Wide Witness!

When we realize as Jesus-followers the vastness of our resources through God, that the eternal riches of heaven is God’s gift to us, we won’t be miserly with the things we have. In fact, there will rest in our lives a deep contentment that will produce a wide witness. In short, we will experience with eagerness and freedom to share the benefits of the power of generosity.

The power of generosity rooted in godly contentment has some priceless benefits. Let’s rejoin Paul in 1 Timothy 6 to see how these benefits become apparent.

We hold temporal things loosely

7 For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it.

Since we enter this world carrying nothing, wearing nothing, owning nothing, and we leave the same way, why should we cling to our earthly goods? Generosity rooted in godly contentment allows us to know that all we have in between life and death on planet earth comes from God’s kind hands.

We keep our essentials to a minimum

8 But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that.

We may enter this world in our birthday suit and exit this world without a U-haul trailer behind our hearse, but we all need certain possessions for survival upon our sojourn here. For example, we need food, water, clothing, and shelter. These are essentials. Now, that doesn’t mean it’s wrong to own a car, SUV, an iPOd, or jewelry. But we should never depend on them for our contentment. The “one who dies with the most toys wins” attitude promotes an empty life because it never satisfies. It starts with the “need” to have a bigger, more expensive car. Then a boat. Then a summer home or two. Then… satisfaction eludes us. We have made luxuries into essentials. However, a generosity rooted in godly contentment, helps us keep focused on what’s really necessary for ourselves—and what’s needed for changing our world for Christ.

We withstand the appealing allure of greed

9 Those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. 10 For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.

Those of us who are driven by the love of money have as our guiding light the glitter of silver and gold, which lures us to our destruction. Let’s note what wise Solomon said in Proverbs 28:20, 22…

20 A faithful person will be richly blessed, but one eager to get rich will not go unpunished… 22 The stingy are eager to get rich and are unaware that poverty awaits them.

The lure of money is even strong enough to entice some away from the faith, leaving the debris of broken promises and relationships in its wake. However, we must be careful in the context of Paul’s words on godly contentment. The love of money isn’t the only thing that entices people today. Our God-given resources can entangle us in negative ways. In fact, we could personalize verse ten by just filling in the blank… “The love of __________ is the root of all kinds of evil.” What is it that we love more than placing Christ in clear focus with a prevailing desire to obey God? Is it family, job, school, car, home, etc?

We must notice that money or any other influence is not the problem; our attitude toward it is the problem. Things are amoral, neither good nor bad. But the “love of ______________” is the root of all kinds of evil and leads to destruction. If we put it another way, it’s not what we have that causes problems, it’s what has us! When we have a contented, generous spirit, God has us and our possessions, and greed has no place to take root.

“Fertilizer does no good in a heap, but a little spread around works miracles all over.”

–Percy Ross.

We cultivate a lifestyle that is truly joyful

17 Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment.

What about those Jesus-followers who are already rich? How are they to view their wealth? Well Paul says that the rich are to avoid being arrogant, looking down on those who have less. They’re not to fix their false hope on a false security. We are all to see our possessions as belonging to God and given by him for his glory and our enjoyment. Yes, our enjoyment! God is not a joy-withholder, but a pleasure-provider. God just doesn’t want us to be deceived by the world’s false joys that turn bitter the morning after they are experienced. Rather, God wants us to realize that an absence of smugness plus the presence of security will equal true, lasting joy. As Jesus-followers, it’s not what we have that makes the difference; it’s what we make of what we have that makes the difference.

Mother Teresa tells a wonderful story about a newly married couple who came to the Missionaries of Charity house in Mumbai, India, and gave a large amount of money: I asked them, “Where did you get so much money?” They answered, “We got married two days ago. Before we got married we had decided not to celebrate the wedding with all the fine accessories. We decided not to buy wedding clothes, not to have a fancy reception or an extravagant honeymoon. We wanted to give you the money we saved.” I know what such a decision meant, especially for a Hindu family. That is why I asked them, “But how did you think of such a thing?” They replied, “We have so much, and we love each other so much that we wanted to share the joy of our love with those you serve.” To share—what a beautiful thing!

Caring for others makes a powerful difference in the lives of those who choose generosity. The generous attitude of this young couple reminds us that no one is too poor to give and no one is too rich to receive. God’s truth is a great foundation for building a life and legacy that witness wide, indeed. The real question is what will we pursue in our lives and beyond? Money or any God-given resource for that matter can be a gift if we pursue it for the sake of those things that really have eternal values. That’s what that young couple did, my parents did, and apparently many others in our country are following suit. That’s why Jesus spends so much time calling us to responsible stewardship of our wealth. It’s the invitation from God to have the whole of our lives point to what will ultimately matter.

An Incredible Moment with a Little Boy and Jesus

Let’s close this message again with another worthy example of generosity. It involves the giving of a lunch from one little boy to Jesus in order to feed one large crowd. The Gospel writer records it in John 6:9…

“Here is a boy with five small barley loaves and two small fish, but how far will they go among so many?”

Miracles are the common currency of heaven. The feeding of the five thousand was just a little loose change spilling from the hole in its pocket. The disciples wanted Jesus to send the crowd away. Jesus wanted his followers to provide the resources to meet their need for food. To the followers of Jesus this request was “impossible, can’t be done.” However Andrew goes to a little more trouble to search for a solution.

Andrew doesn’t look at what can’t be done but at the little that can be done. In doing so, he finds a poor boy with five flat loaves of coarsely ground barley bread and a couple of fish in a wicker basket. “But how far will they go among so many?” What the disciples don’t see is that impossible situations are not solved by how much we have in our wallets, purses or in our baskets. Not by how adequate our bank account or how abundant our assets. Impossibilities are solved by miracles—pennies from heaven. And Jesus had a pocket full. That is where the disciples were to go to get bread.

So Jesus turns to the boy. He doesn’t have much. And what he has isn’t the best. It’s the food of the poor; bread made from barley, not wheat; salted-down sardines, not fish filets. But what this boy has is enough for Jesus. For the surrender of a little boy and the compassion of a Savior are all that’s needed for this miracle.

And the same is true for us as we seek the benefits of generosity! It can be an incredible moment for us. Jesus takes whatever we have, though small, and multiplies it to meet the needs of many. We confess that sometimes we feel so inadequate to meet the crowd of needs that surround us. Like that little boy with the lunch basket, we feel that the loaves we have are so small and the fish, so few. Yet, God will manifest his power through the weak things of this world.

What are the benefits of generosity? We must do good, be rich in good works, be ready to share, and store up good treasures of a good foundation for the future. We don’t have much, but we give what we have. May the Lord take our coarsely-ground lives and the small skills that accompany them. May the Lord take them into his hands, bless them, multiply them, and us them for God’s glory and for the good of others. Amen!

The power of generosity is seen in ordinary people who are driven by an extraordinary desire and attitude to help others, strategically sharing Christ’s Gospel.

As we enter our second message on the power of generosity, we want to be reminded that generosity not only includes giving our resources, but it also means addressing the need of becoming engaged in changing the world for Christ. On this Mission Awareness Sunday, we want to identify the generous that are called to advance Christ’s kingdom work, not only in the Covina Valley but to the ends of the world.

Generous people are everywhere, but their stories are not told often enough. Who are they and where do they come from? Sometimes it’s children who give us the most powerful examples.

Five-year-old Madelyn, at her own initiative, prays for poor people every night. Her simple prayer, “God, don’t help us any; just help the poor people,” reflects child-like simplicity and a concern that touches her family in a special way. And Madelyn has put her prayer into action by giving her small savings of five dollars to help those in need. In her example there is a deep truth about child-like compassion and daily persistence. Her power of generosity is both felt and expressed.

Children have an uncanny way of connecting their thoughts with their actions. For them, if you really mean it, you will do something about it. As adults, we sometimes fail to act because we see all the complexities. It’s not uncommon for our knowledge to paralyze our expression of generosity. Analysis may bring paralysis!

There is a certain mystery around those who practice generosity. Why is it that certain people are generous? On the one hand it is clear that they give because they believe it is right and good. At the same time it is also apparent that they receive some personal satisfaction from giving in this way. Those who are willing to sacrifice even suffer for the cause of Jesus Christ, such as our missionaries around the world, put their lives on the line for what they believe. It cannot be denied that they receive personal satisfaction in giving of themselves. But they also receive a power beyond themselves. It’s a power that causes them to live beyond their means for the sake of a needy world.

A town in Southern Florida was recently battered one night by hurricane-force winds. In the morning, after the storm had ceased, the citizens returned to their homes to assess the damage. The power of the storm quickly became clear to one investigator who was literally dumbfounded by an incredible discovery. Mouths dropped open as people came to check out his report: a common long-playing record driven deep into a telephone pole by the night’s vicious winds. Obviously, under normal conditions, a flimsy plastic record could never penetrate a telephone pole. But the tremendous power of the wind had driven the record into the wood like a spike.

This true encounter with nature helps us as Jesus-followers to wonder if we can ever make a difference living in an ungodly world. We wonder if we can effectively penetrate our cynical culture with the power of generosity. How can we make a lasting impression with the good news God has given us to proclaim? The answer lies in the source of our power. If we rely on our own strength and methods, then no, we cannot make much of a difference. However, if we choose to be driven by God’s limitless power, we become like that record in the hurricane where nothing can stop us. We can indeed make a dramatic difference through the power of generosity.

Power =

The means by which Jesus-followers

perform to turn their world rightside up for God.

The word for power is the Greek word dunamis, from which we get the words dynamite, dynamic, and dynamo. It describes that which is dynamic and potent, something that can turn ordinary Jesus-followers into extraordinary Jesus-followers. Because of the nature of dunamis, it is important to understand the principle that God didn’t pour out the power of the Holy Spirit to make us feel something but to help us accomplish something. God’s power is practical power. We can enjoy the good feelings that come with generosity, but we don’t let the lack of feelings prevent us from stepping out in the power of the Spirit to do what God wants us to do.

It’s likened to the difference between dynamite and a dynamo. A stick of dynamite explodes and makes a big impact only in seconds, then it is all over. In fact, used in an unwise manner, dynamite can ruin our whole day! A dynamo, a machine designed to generate power so work can be accomplished, just keeps running. Sometimes God’s power is like dynamite in our lives, blasting us emotionally, jolting us out of our complacency, motivating us to some great act of generosity in ministry. We see a lot of these explosions in the early church. But in between these explosive moments, God’s power is like a strong, steady-running motor inside us that helps us live from day to day at a level we can’t achieve in our own strength. We must never underestimate the importance of God’s explosive “dynamite power” in our giving. But by the same token, we must be aware that God’s dynamic “dynamo power” is available every moment and every day to help us be what God wants us to be; to accomplish what God wants us to accomplish.

Acts 1:4-8

4 On one occasion, while he was eating with them, he gave them this command: “Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about. 5 For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.” 6 So when they met together, they asked him, “Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?” 7 He said to them: “It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority. 8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”

In these verses Luke records the words of Jesus before he ascends to the Father. Jesus assures his closest followers of a plan that would begin to change the world. Jesus relieves them of their fears and tells them of a new approach by which they were to turn the world rightside up. They would need to trust the plan and the timing to the Sovereign of the universe.

Power for a Purpose

The early church impacted their world so dramatically. They were power-packed! It’s wonderful to know that the very same power that raised Jesus from the dead, gave the earlier followers of Jesus a generosity that instilled boldness, saved unbelievers, and met the physical needs of those around them.

Jesus assures his followers that the generous are characterized by a dynamic difference in two ways:

The promise of God’s power enables us to wait

4 On one occasion, while he was eating with them, he gave them this command: “Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about. 5 For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.” 6 So when they met together, they asked him, “Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?”

Where did the early followers of Jesus find the power to turn their world rightside up for God? The first group had to wait for it. Shortly before his ascension Jesus told his followers that they were not yet fully equipped for the task of showing the power of generosity through world evangelism. They needed power beyond themselves. This power would come with the gift from the Holy Spirit. For that reason Jesus told them to wait in Jerusalem until the power he promised them arrived.

Furthermore, the followers of Jesus didn’t yet understand what Jesus was doing. They asked Jesus when he would establish an earthly kingdom to overthrow the Romans. This was the hope they nurtured all along. When Jesus was crucified, their expectation for a messianic kingdom on earth was dashed. But with Jesus’ resurrection, their hopes were revived. So they pressed Jesus on the issue again.

The path of God’s power enables us to witness

7 He said to them: “It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority. 8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”

How were the early followers of Jesus going to use the power to turn their world rightside up for God? The first group had not only to wait for it, but they had to witness to it. Jesus didn’t answer their question directly about the time of kingdom restoration, but instead Jesus told them that it was not in his authority to know.

Jesus told them that only the Father had put the time of kingdom restoration in his own authority. Jesus clearly told them not to be concerned about when his earthly kingdom would be established. They were just to focus their attention on what they should be doing while they await it. They were to wait in Jerusalem for the power of the Holy Spirit in order to one day witness through the power of the Holy Spirit.

The word witness is used 29 times in the book of Acts as either a verb or a noun. Witnesses are those who tell others what they have seen and heard. Likewise, Jesus-followers are empowered to proclaim what we have seen and heard about our Savior. Witnessing involves the power of generosity; telling and showing others what Christ has done for us and what he has shown us in his Word.

In verse 8 we have the strategy to perform the power. We must remember that Jesus does not only give us the steps in succession, but the overall plan is to be implemented simultaneously! Jesus followers must speak up, speak for, and speak out this plan in four distinct ways.

Let’s pay special attention to the significance of the order in Acts 1:8…

“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”

The first stop will be Jerusalem. Jerusalem was home base for the church, representing her own backyard. Our Jerusalem is the neighborhood and Covina Valley where we live.

The second stop will be Judea. This area was located all around Jerusalem, representing the follower’s larger community. Our Judea may encompass the county or state where our town is located.

The third stop will be Samaria. This province north of Judea was home to a racially mixed segment of the people that the Jews despised. It was definitely “the other side of the tracks.” Our Samaria may be racially-mixed Southern California where people of different ethnic groups, cultures, or socioeconomic levels live.

The fourth stop will be the Ends of the Earth. Many of Jesus’ followers left familiar surroundings and traveled great distances as his witnesses. This area represents global outreach far beyond our borders.

God can still work the power of generosity in the lives of Jesus-followers today as he worked in the first century church. Let’s consider the nation of China. Beginning in the nineteenth century, Western missionaries ministered to the people of that country for 100 years and reaped about 800,000 converts. Then the communist revolution took place and Mao Tse-tung threw out the Westerners. Chinese Christians lost their churches and Bibles. Many Jesus-followers were tortured and even put to death for their faith. Western Christians wondered whether the church in China would survive the intense persecution. So how did these Chinese Jesus-followers fare under 40 years of communist rule with almost none of the resources we consider essential?

When Western missionaries were readmitted into the country and allowed to see how the Chinese church had managed during those turbulent years, they were astonished. The church had not floundered; it had flourished, increasing by as many as 75 million converts! It has been said, “If the Holy Spirit were taken away from China about 90 percent of what they do would come to a halt. But if the Holy Spirit were taken away from today’s Western church, only 10 percent of what it does would cease.” We’re not seeing the same results as those Jesus-followers in China because we’re not relying on the same power they did. How did they do it? They got back to the basics, took God at his Word, and laid hold of the same power the early church employed. Vance Havner once said, “We are not going to move this world by criticism of it nor conformity to it, but by the combustion within it of lives ignited by the Spirit of God.“ The Chinese church, thriving and advancing even under communism, is living proof of his words. This power is still available to the church.

No matter how sincere our intentions may be, we must be attentive to the power of the Spirit in our Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and the ends of the earth. Sometimes we don’t need to cross the sea to be a witness; we can start by crossing the street! Sometimes we don’t need to cling to our hometown in self-absorption when God calls us to “comfort the afflicted and afflict the comfortable.” Our mission field is all around us. However, if we are not willing to be witnesses where we live, we can’t expect God to give us opportunities elsewhere. Let’s be faithful where we are and God may open even greater opportunities for us to unleash the power of generosity in other ministry places.

Two Seas. There are two seas in Palestine. One is fresh, and fish are in it. Splashes of green adorn its banks. Trees spread their branches over it and stretch out their thirsty roots to sip of its healing waters. Along its shores the children play, as children played when Jesus was there. He loved it. He could look across its silver surface when he spoke his parables. And on a rolling plain not far away he fed five thousand people. The River Jordan makes this sea with sparkling water from the hills. So it laughs in the sunshine. And people build their houses near to it, and birds their nests; and every kind of life is happier because it is there. The River Jordan flows on south into another sea. Here is no splash of fish, no fluttering leaf, no song of birds, no children’s laughter. Travelers choose another route, unless on urgent business. The air hangs heavy above its water, and neither human nor beast nor fowl will drink. What makes this mighty difference in these neighbor seas? Not the river Jordan. It empties the same good water into both. Not the soil in which they lie, not the country about. This is the difference. The Sea of Galilee receives but does not keep the Jordan. For every drop that flows into it another drop flows out. The giving and receiving go on in equal measure. The other sea is shrewder, hoarding its income jealously. It will not be tempted into any generous impulse. Every drop it gets, it keeps. The Sea of Galilee gives and lives. This other sea gives nothing. It is named The Dead.

There are two seas in Palestine. So there must be inflow and outflow. There are two kinds of people in the world. The openhanded are characterized by inflow and outflow, but the tightfisted are characterized by inflow and no go. Those who are generous inflow and outflow through the power of the Spirit. Dunamis is not an impersonal force that hoards; Dunamis is God’s Holy Spirit that helps. It exercises God’s power in our lives. People of power are those who are gracious. They are people of the Spirit. If we want God’s power flooding our lives, we need God’s Spirit flooding our lives.

An Incredible Moment with the King

Let’s close this message with another worthy example of generosity. It involves the King’s Urgent Text-Message to be generous by committing to the Great Commission. The Gospel writer records it in Matthew 28:18-20…

Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

The King’s Urgent Text-Message.

Reader 1: There once was a king who came to rule a very large kingdom. Within the kingdom were peoples of every tribe and language, and it was so far-flung and diverse that outside the local calling area most people had never even heard the king’s name. This grieved the king very much because he longed for a personal relationship with each of his subjects.

Reader 2: One day the king announced that he would be going away on important business. But while he would be away he had an urgent text-message that he needed delivered throughout the land. In it the king would introduce himself and would invite all who were willing to join his newly-established network.

Reader 3: Delivering this message would not be an easy task—in part because the king’s network was small and new, and roaming had yet to be established. But the king assured his small band of local subscribers that over time it would come to include every people group.

Reader 4: And leaving nothing to chance, the king laid out the business plan to be followed in building this global network: They would begin by adding new subscribers in the local calling area and would expand out from there. They were to remain passionate and focused until the task was completed, and the network would finally include subscribers from every tribe, people and language. And all this must happen before the king’s return.

Reader 5: I wish you could know just how passionate the king felt about this task. He said it was as important as life itself. He said it would require sacrifice and perseverance. He wasn’t merely offering ideas of what to do while he was away; he was giving a commission. He talked about it right up until it was time for him to leave. And then he was gone.

Reader 2: Early on, it was truly remarkable how well the plan worked, even though both new and existing subscribers often faced severe difficulties and opposition.

Reader 1: As the king’s friends remained passionate and focused, the network added daily those who were subscribing.

Reader 5: Over time, however, some members forgot the joy they had felt as new subscribers, and the urgent task of delivering the king’s message began to take second place to other priorities.

Reader 3: There were houses to build and careers to advance. Some simply lost sight of the business plan or lost the passion and focus to complete the task.

Reader 4: Others became content to congregate together in the areas where there were already the most subscribers, and eventually only a small number were roaming to the most distant areas with the king’s urgent message.

Reader 1: At last the time began nearing for the king’s return.

Reader 2: But there was still so much to be done!

Reader 3: Many in the distant areas had not yet heard the king’s message.

Reader 4: Other areas had millions of new subscribers who couldn’t understand all the amazing features of the king’s network because there was no one to tell them.

Reader 5: If only the king’s friends could see the big picture of what must be done before his approaching return.

Reader 2: Yes, if only we could.

Reader 1: Engage roaming.

Reader 5: Teach networking.

Reader 3: Embrace the king.

Reader 4: Remain focused.

All: Stay faithful!

Who are the gracious? They are ordinary people who are driven by an extraordinary desire and attitude to help others. They can be children, teenagers, adults, and senior citizens. They cross every religious and cultural boundary to share the Gospel of Christ. Some work in environments that are more favorable toward generosity, but even in the worst places the spark to care for others shines brightly. The call to be generous is an investment that pays dividends to those who step out in faith. No one needs to despair that generosity is reserved only for those who have a good education or a special personality. Generosity is for everyone. All it takes is a willing spirit and the courage to be used for something greater than ourselves. Amen!

The power of generosity is a loving call to action, providing realistic ways for all Jesus-followers looking to be more giving in their lives.

Introduction

Perhaps we can all identify with the following scenario.  “It’s my truck!”  “But you weren’t playing with it; you were outside. Can’t I play with it?”  “No!  It’s my truck!”  Getting a child to share a treasured toy is no easy task.  Children are protective of their toys even when they are not playing with them.  They fear that once little sister curls her fingers around the toy, it’s as good as gone.  Mom’s or Dad’s intervention and coercion may conceive a child to let it go, but the child still won’t be happy about it.

That’s how many Jesus-followers act when it comes to showing generosity.  “It’s my treasure!  It’s my time!  It’s my life!”  And when we do share these resources with others, we often do so grudgingly, without joy.  Our time, talent and treasures are not toys to be grasped; they are gifts to be shared.  In fact, God delights in our sharing them; God loves a cheerful giver.

There’s a better way to live and give.  It’s called the power of generosity.  It’s simply God’s way.  It starts in the heart, with a deep appreciation for all that God has given us—eternal treasures as well as material provisions for today.  That appreciation, then, flows into our family, our church, our community, and our world through our generous and joyful giving. 

This series of messages entitled The power of Generosity reminds us that generosity includes giving our resources, but it also means addressing the need of becoming engaged in changing the world.  For in a world of grinding poverty and humanitarian crisis, people of action are needed—people who have had enough of words.  Generosity is one of the most neglected virtues in our culture today.  We live in a world that often prefers grabbing to giving.

There is a cultural message that repeats itself daily: “You are what you own.”  There are many categories of our life: Our time, our possessions, our money, and our talents.  Our consumer mentality is an overwhelming one, but of course there is an alternative.  There are millions of people who are generous and practice generosity daily.  We need more like them.  So generosity touches every relationship on a daily basis. This series hopefully will lift our hearts and sustain our spirits so that together we can build a future for ourselves, and our children.  Time is short but the opportunities are endless!

There is a touching story about a bus that was bumping along a back road in the south. In one seat an older gentleman sat holding a bunch of fresh flowers. Across the aisle was a young girl whose eyes came back, again and again to the man’s flowers. The time came for the old man to get off. Impulsively he thrust the flowers into the girl’s lap. “I can see you love the flowers,” he explained, “and I think my wife would like for you to have them. I’ll tell her I gave them to you.”

The girl accepted the flowers, then watched the old man get off the bus and walk through the gate of a small cemetery.

This story has something to say about intimate relationships.  But it has more to say about the way we understand possessions and the way that we see our place in the world.

The dictionary defines generous as “of a noble nature, willing to give or share; large, ample; liberal or open handed.”  The focus is on the freewill nature of the gift, which contrasts with the duty-like quality of charity.  In Western culture, generosity has strong roots in the biblical concept of a Creator God who offers life to humankind as a gift.  God is not required to offer us the gift of life.  However, God grants the gift of life that flows from his generous heart.

Generosity =

The quality of a Jesus-follower which is displayed by carefully

 managing one’s God-given resources so as to freely give to those in need.

The Bible identifies generous persons as those to emulate in Proverbs 11:25…

A generous person will prosper;

 Whoever refreshes others will be refreshed.

Generosity is about relationship.  It is a lubricant in our dealings with one another.  Generosity frees us up to build a more cooperative future, improve our emotional and physical health, and simply make life more fun.  Generous acts have the unique ability to lift us to a higher level where we are more redemptive; more the persons we really want to be.

“We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give.”  –Norman MacEwan.

“I do not believe one can settle how much we ought to give.  I am afraid that the only safe rule is to give more than we can spare.” –C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity.

2 Corinthians 9:6-15

6 Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously.  7 Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.  8 And God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work.  

9 As it is written:  “They have scattered abroad their gifts to the poor; their righteousness endures forever.” 10 Now he who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will also supply and increase your store of seed and will enlarge the harvest of your righteousness. 11 You will be made rich in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God.   12 This service that you perform is not only supplying the needs of the Lord’s people but is also overflowing in many expressions of thanks to God. 13 Because of the service by which you have proved yourselves, people will praise God for the obedience that accompanies your confession of the gospel of Christ, and for your generosity in sharing with them and with everyone else. 14 And in their prayers for you their hearts will go out to you, because of the surpassing grace God has given you. 15 Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift!

In these verses Paul instructs the Corinthian Christians in the grace of generosity.  Generosity does something for others because it relieves their need.  It does something for ourselves because it guarantees our profession as Jesus-followers.  It does something for God because it makes prayers of thanksgiving go up to him for his indescribable gift in Jesus Christ.

The Grace of Generosity

Our motive for generosity is God’s spiritual blessings in our lives, but our measure for generosity is God’s material blessings.  The grace of generosity is a matter of faith: we obey God and believe that he will meet our needs as we help to meet the needs of others.

Paul expresses the truth that generous people have a heart for others that flows from the heart of God giving him glory.

The law of generosity

6 Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously.

Paul says that we can either show generosity gracefully or grudgingly.  Let’s note the comparison:

Sow sparingly, reap sparingly.  Few seeds of grace, small harvest of blessing.

Sow generously, reap generously.  Many seeds of grace, great harvest of blessing.

The story is told that one day a beggar by the roadside asked for alms from Alexander the Great as he passed by. The man was poor and wretched and had no claim upon the ruler, no right even to lift a solicitous hand. Yet the Emperor placed in the beggar’s hand several gold coins. An aristocrat was astonished at his generosity and commented, “Sir, copper coins would adequately meet a beggar’s need. Why give him gold?” Alexander responded in royal fashion, “Copper coins would suit the beggar’s need, but gold coins suit Alexander’s generosity.”

The heart of generosity

7 Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.

Paul says that we can mark our generosity by being either cheerful or grumpy.  Let’s note the marks of a heart of generosity:

Generosity is marked by choice

Generosity is marked by compliance

Generosity is marked by cheerfulness

We must never give as a result of attitude of reluctance or pressure, but that God loves the person who gives cheerfully.  As stewards of all of God’s blessings, it isn’t enough that we legalistically calculate a tithe of all our time, talents, and treasures and grudgingly turn them over to God.  God wants us to have a generous and giving heart and spirit.  As we go about our daily lives we need to cultivate a cheerful attitude toward generosity, if we don’t have one.  Generosity isn’t supposed to hurt.  It’s supposed to feel good.  As we practice it, giving full control of our lives to God, he does change our attitudes toward generosity, and in the end cheerful giving of our time, talents, treasures—of our lives becomes a way of life to God’s glory and honor!

The blessings of generosity

8 And God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work.  

Paul says that we have a promise from God that, if a person really wants to be generous, God will see that he or she is given the opportunity.  Let’s note the absoluteness; the “alls” of the promise:

God is able to make blessing flourish in us

God is able to supply in all things at all times all our needs

God is able to make us thrive in every good work

Emphasize the benefits!  According to the people we know in marketing, this is the key to good advertising.  Make sure people see the benefits that accrue if they buy our product.  We can imagine that seeing the benefits makes it tough for an ad agency trying to sell cigarettes.  And for a preacher trying to sell generosity!  Paul, however, was a master salesman.  He stuck strictly to the truth.  He didn’t push.  And yet he made it clear that joyful generosity has tremendous spiritual blessings.

God is able to supply us with benefits; blessings so that we will not only have a sufficiency ourselves, but so that we will be able to share what we have with others and thus have abundance for every good work.

The rewards of generosity

9 As it is written:  “They have scattered abroad their gifts to the poor; their righteousness endures forever.” 10 Now he who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will also supply and increase your store of seed and will enlarge the harvest of your righteousness. 11 You will be made rich in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God… 15 Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift!

Paul says that those who show generosity to others will harvest certain results.  Let’s note the rewards:

God supplies us with more so we can give more

Our generosity meets the needs of others and communicates the grace of God

The hearts of others will be enlarged to us

God will receive thanksgiving for his indescribable gift

It is certainly clear from these rewards that we never impoverish ourselves by showing generosity.  Rather every act of generosity has a reflex action, and the reward is all out of proportion to the gift given.  Jesus-followers will be lubricated through our generosity for further displays of liberality.

But is seems to us that as Paul reaches the end of his section on generosity, he is compelled to think of the greatest Giver of all—God himself.  He thinks of the greatest gift of all—the Lord Jesus Christ.  Paul knows that the remembrance of this gift will do more than all his argument to stimulate the generosity of those who have received the immeasurable blessing. And so he would leave his Corinthian believers and us as well on this high note.  We are children of God and followers of Jesus.  Then let us follow such a worthy example!

An Incredible Moment at the Feet of Jesus

Pour my love on you.  Let’s close this message with a worthy example of generosity.  It involves Mary and Jesus in an eye to eye encounter.  The apostle records in John 12:3…

“Mary took about a pint of pure nard, an expensive perfume; she poured it on Jesus’ feet and wiped his feet with her hair.  And the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume.” 

What extravagance!  What love!  What devotion!  What a waste!  The disciples were shocked, especially Judas.  And Mary did get carried away with her heart of generosity toward Jesus.  No one had ever done anything like this before.  Mary Magdalene had washed Jesus’ feet with her tears (Luke 7), but Mary had broken open the alabaster jar containing her most precious ointment and poured all of it on Jesus’ feet.  It was an act of generosity in its truest sense.  It was an act of worship—sheer devotion to her Master.

The perfume (pure oil of nard) was so strong that it saturated the room.  There was no question about what she had done; everyone could smell it.  The group’s eyes probably began to water and their noses may have stopped up as the aroma of sweet perfume filled the room.  The whole incident is a true picture of generosity.  Mary held nothing back in her willingness to follow a loving call to action, providing a no-nonsense way to be more generous in her life before Jesus.

We might say that perfume and cologne is quite expensive today.  We all have our favorites.  But would we willingly pour out our costly perfume or cologne that represents a year’s wages in an act of generosity? That’s a huge expression of giving. However, Mary bowed herself before her Lord and poured out every last drop in honor of him.  True generosity unites us to the very heart of God.  It joins us to the heavenly host who worship in his presence continually.    Like Mary, we must be so filled with adoration and wonder that generosity breaks forth from our hearts.  We must brake open our lives before Jesus because God has broken open our hearts.  The fragrance of our lives must gush forth because our hearts refuse to bottle up our love for the Savior.

A.W. Tozer calls such generosity the “gaze of faith” when the inward eyes of a person are raised to meet the all-seeing eyes of God.  Then he quotes Nicolas of Cusa, who wrote four centuries ago: “All my devotion is turned toward you because all your devotion is turned toward me.  I look unto you alone with all my attention…because you have looked toward me alone.  And what, Lord, is my life, save that embrace wherein your sweetness so lovingly enfolds me.”

Will generosity save our lives?  Yes, it can be an essential element in enriching our lives, building a more cooperative future, improving our emotional and physical health, and simply making life more fun.  It’s also a very serious business because our culture is showing strains of violence, poverty, selfishness, and neglect.  Generosity is an attitude that puts heart in our obligation to care for others.  Generosity from those who have abundance is part of the solution.  While the numbers of Jesus-followers is growing, there is a pressing need to nurture and recruit yet more Jesus-followers in this way to change our life together.  The generosity journey is looking for more travelers.  The journey begins with the willingness to be broken and poured out at the feet of Jesus.  Amen!